Love letter to a stray dog

In late October we stepped in to rescue a stray who had been attacked by a neighbor’s dog. He wore a hiking harness and had clearly been cared for once, but he had no chip and had been living on the streets for a while. He was emaciated, scared, and now injured, but was nothing but love and sweetness.

Iko, the goodest boy

I promised him I would get him taken care of. We got him some food, which he had trouble keeping down, and kept him safe until the Arizona Humane Society could come and pick him up. With his injured (and still bleeding) neck wound I was nervous about taking him anywhere myself. The Humane Society took wonderful care of him, fixed up his wounds, checked him for diseases, and kept him warm and safe.

I also promised him I would find him a loving home. I’ve been calling the Humane Society every few days to get updates since this happened. They named him Iko. They had him on a bite hold for a while, which he came off of with flying colors. He was sweet and gentle, and they were hoping to get him up for adoption once they figured out why he couldn’t keep his food down and they got him fixed.

Sadly, the reason for Iko’s eating problems was that he had megaesophagus, which prevents dogs from swallowing correctly and from keeping food down. It was likely a result of something that happened in his time on the streets, and there was nothing they could do to fix it. He was deemed unadoptable as a result, and put to sleep.

I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my second promise to you, Iko. I would’ve come to play with you one last time if I’d have known. I know they took good care of you there, and you were safe and warm… but I wish I had been able to help you find the long life of love you so wanted to share with someone.